1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video signal reproducing apparatus suitable for use in an 8-mm video tape recorder, for example.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have heretofore been proposed and used video tape recorders for recording video signals in various formats. The video tape recorders include an 8-mm video tape recorder, a VHS video tape recorder, and a Beta video tape recorder among others. The 8-mm video tape recorder finds wide use in consumer and business applications as it employs much smaller tape cassettes than the VHS and Beta video tape recorders, and can record and reproduce images and sounds with high quality and is capable of recording audio signals by way of multiple pulse code modulation (PCM).
The 8-mm video tape recorder has an audio signal recording mode in which it records an audio signal on a video tape by frequency-modulating the audio signal and mixing it with a color video signal such that the audio signal can be divided in terms of frequencies. In another optional audio signal recording mode, the audio signal is pulse-code-modulated (PCM), and the PCM audio signal and the color video signal are recorded in different regions along one track on a video tape.
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a rotary head assembly of an 8-mm video tape recorder, and FIG. 2 shows a recording format or pattern of tracks recorded on a video tape by the rotary head assembly.
As shown in FIG. 1, the rotary head assembly has recording and reproducing magnetic heads HA, HB whose gaps have different azimuth angles from each other and which are mounted on a drum 1 in a 180.degree.-spaced relationship to each other. The recording and reproducing magnetic heads HA, HB have tips projecting slightly radially outwardly from the outer circumferential surface of the drum 1. The recording and reproducing magnetic heads HA, HB are rotated with the drum 1 in the direction indicated by the arrow 3H at a frame frequency of 30 Hz.
When the recording and reproducing magnetic heads 4A, 4B are thus rotated, as shown in FIG. 2, signals are recorded along tracks 4A, 4B having a length corresponding to an angle of 221.degree. which are alternately formed on a magnetic video tape 2 by the respective recording and reproducing magnetic heads 4A, 4B. An audio signal, which is pulse-code-modulated and time-compressed, relative to one field of a video signal is recorded in an area AP that corresponds to an angular range of about 36.degree. (including an after-recording margin for the pulse-code-modulated audio signal and a guard band) from the starting end of each of the tracks 4A, 4B. Then, one field of color video signal, an FM audio signal, and a tracking signal are recorded in an area AV over an angular range of 180.degree. following the area AP. The remaining angular range of 5.degree. of each of the tracks 4A, 4B provides a marginal interval in which the recording and reproducing magnetic head leaves the video tape 5.
The after-recording margin includes an index area for recording count values of one frame, time data representing year, month, date, hour, minute, and second, and chapter data.
When a magnetic video tape with no such time and chapter data recorded in the index area is played back on an 8-mm video tape recorder upon pressing of a playback button thereof, the recorded count values are automatically displayed successively. When a magnetic video tape with time and chapter data recorded in the index area is played back on an 8-mm video tape recorder upon pressing of a playback button thereof, the time data indicating year, month, and date or the time data of hour, minute, and second is selectively displayed in response to the depression of a corresponding button.
The chapter data, which means almost the same as chapter data for video discs, is data indicative of a certain range on the magnetic video tape 2.
The data recorded in the index area can be displayed when a certain button of the 8-mm video tape recorder is pressed while the magnetic video tape 2 is being played back by the 8-mm video tape recorder.
In use, the tape cassette housing the magnetic video tape 2 is loaded in the above 8-mm video tape recorder, and thereafter the playback button is pressed to transport the magnetic video tape 2 for signal reproduction. Only at this time, or only when a certain button is pressed while the magnetic video tape 2 is being played back, the desired data recorded in the index area is displayed. Therefore, the user may find the display process cumbersome, and cannot recognize the index information of the tape cassette immediately when the tape cassette is loaded in the video tape recorder.